Council Spotlight: Hemsworth Town Council

The Parish of Hemsworth has an estimated population of 13,533 (2011 Census figures) and a total electorate of 10,145. There are 15 locally elected councillors – nine representing Hemsworth Wards (South, East and West), three for Kinsley and three for Fitzwilliam.

The council provides the following local services:

• Community centre
• Football facilities
• Garden scheme for the infirm/elderly
• Hemsworth Market
• Hemsworth Water Park and Playworld
• Information and administration office
• Lakeside Cafe and soft play area
• Allotments
• Seasonal events

One of Hemsworth Town Council’s initiatives for 2016/17 and 2017/18 was to have in place defibrillators in the township (the township covers Hemsworth and the two villages of Fitzwilliam & Kinsley).

The first of the defibrillators was installed at the Community Centre, Hemsworth in March 2017 and the second at Hemsworth Water Park, Kinsley in April 2017 and our third defibrillator has now been installed at the Fitzwilliam centre. The council funded the first two defibrillators and Hemsworth Town Council funded the third defibrillator in partnership with Yorkshire Ambulance Service Charitable Fund and donations from L & T Transport & Farmfoods.

The council also organised and paid for staff training with Yorkshire Ambulance and opened this training up to the public. Within the first two weeks of the council’s first defibrillator being installed it was accessed twice. All three defibrillators purchased are Community Public Access Defibrillator (cPAD) and therefore available 24/7.

Taking pride of place in a cabinet on the external wall of the Community Centre in Hemsworth, the café wall at Hemsworth Water Park & the Old Peoples Centre Fitzwilliam, the community cPAD are fully operational and, available for providing immediate life-saving care in an emergency situation such as cardiac arrest.

Hemsworth Town Council is proud to have undertaken this initiative as it can make a real difference in local communities when residents have access to a defibrillator. These pieces of kit really do have the potential to save more lives and are an important asset to public places.